The Book of Admonition

This book offers the reader a view of the First Crusade through the eyes of the Arabs.
The author – a contemporary and participant in historical events – Usama ibn Munqidh (1095-1188), an Arab commander and writer, traveled through Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia, and Palestine. He participated in negotiations between Damascus – the ancient center of science, art, and crafts, under the rule of the Turkic Burid dynasty – and the Kingdom of Jerusalem, a state of the Crusaders created after the capture of Jerusalem in 1100.
The book tells about battles and hunting, palace intrigues of Eastern rulers, and the everyday life and customs of people in the 12th century.